Top Reasons to Choose the Gmail Web Interface over Microsoft Outlook

Introduction:

Many G Suite customers struggle with convincing their users to access Gmail via a web browser, preferably Chrome because, G Suite Sync for Microsoft Outlook (GSSMO) is available. Many users would rather remain on Outlook than embrace the Gmail Web Interface. This document will help them to understand the benefits of using G suite in browser. This will help those environments where Outlook is used as an email client. We consider the adoption of web interface as part of the Core IT phase or Change Management phase.

Reason #1: The Gmail web UI is FAST

Compared to typical and conventional desktop mail client like Outlook, the Gmail web UI is super fast.  It loads inbox faster, opens a message faster and displays new messages faster. And user will be amazed to see how much less CPU it will use too!

Reason #2: Only using the Gmail web UI can you integrate seamlessly with Chat, Tasks, Calendar, and Docs

Below are just a few of the killer features available only in the web UI:

a) Text Chat & Video Chat built into the same window where you view email

b) Gadgets that allow quick views of your calendar and/or recent documents

c) Managing your tasks in Gmail and Calendar

d) Google’s Universal navigation bar

e) Undo Send - great for when you send an email

f) Inserting/previewing docs

Reason #3: In Outlook, you’ll miss out on new features and Labs in Gmail

G Suite rolls out 10-15 new features per month. Google also regularly releases updates to Gmail Labs - a testing ground for experimental features that aren't quite ready for primetime but often offer functionality that one gets hooked on to!  If you stay on Outlook, you’ll miss out on new Gmail features and Labs!

Reason #4: Improved productivity with email conversations

Users will be more productive by using Gmail’s web UI thanks to Gmail’s powerful email conversation functionality ( threading).  Here’s how conversations work: rather than listing each message reply as a new message in your Inbox (as is the case with Outlook), Gmail groups a message and its replies in a conversation, which is listed only once. Opening a conversation shows all its messages in a neat stack, which users can easily collapse or expand. When a new reply arrives, the stack grows and the conversation is marked as unread, indicating there’s something new to look at. Grouping messages this way allows you to quickly retrieve all messages within a thread and reduces inbox clutter.

Reason #5: The Gmail Web UI offers Google’s world-class email search capabilities

Users often complain that they are not getting the proper search result. In G Suite we have got the answer. The users probably tried using a combination of column sort and/or Outlook search with little success.  Once you experience the ease of use, speed, and accuracy of Gmail’s search capabilities, you’ll never waste time through emails again! Gmail features the same powerful search technology used on the Web to perform accurate keyword searches of all of your email and attachments.

To find messages, you can use the simple search box at the top of your Mail window or, for more refined searching, check out the advanced search operators where you can learn to narrow the results even further.

Reason #6: In Outlook, have you ever wanted to put an email in a few different folders, but had to pick one?  

Labels fix this problem!  User can use labels just like we do for folders, except one can apply multiple labels to a single message.  So when the user wants to file away that expense report they submitted for Project A, they can apply the label “Project A” and “Expense Report” to the email.  

Also, you can color-code your labels to offer better visual organization of your email.

Reason #7: Access your email from anywhere using the same interface

If you choose to use Outlook to access your Gmail inbox at the office, you’ll still need to learn and use Gmail’s web UI for email access from home or on the road.  Why not just use the internet browser and Gmail’s web UI from the office too? It’ll be a much easier experience always knowing you’ll see the same interface wherever you are.  

Gmail also offers a similar look-and-feel for the mobile Application for using on the Go.

Reason #8: If you use the Web UI, no desktop patch installs

With Outlook and many desktop software products today, when bug fixes or system patches need to take place you’re forced to manually install a patch or to have IT push patches overnight.  Not anymore if you use the Gmail web UI!

Reason #9: Security and availability

When choosing the Gmail Web UI, data is more secure and available than with Outlook.  Because email lives in the “cloud” and not on the desktop, if you lose your laptop or someone hacks into your PC, mail might be compromised.  Also if the hard drive was to crash, your locally stored mail would be gone forever! These two issues go away with a switch to the Gmail Web UI. In Web UI you can setup 2 Step verification to secure your data.

Reason #10: Keeping Outlook means money spent to manage and upgrade the software

Along with removing the Exchange server license cost, going with the Gmail web UI means a customer can also fix their license costs. Google Docs also provides 80% of the functionality of MS Office, so cost savings can be realized for users with a non-essential need for full MS Office.

So what are you waiting for? Make the switch now!!